Innehållsförteckning för Issue 1 från Digital Camera User

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT A gallery of some great images to get you inspired and eager to create your own amazing photography No matter if you’re an old hand at photography or a newbie with their first digital camera, there’s no greater way of getting inspired by exploring the work of other photographers to gain ideas, inspiration and a greater sense of what others are shooting right now. Unless you are a photographer with clients and all the demands and requirements that come with it, you have free rein on what you shoot, where you shoot and how you shoot it. It makes a great deal of creative sense to always keep an eye on what’s hot and what’s not. You never know when you may be called upon to…

Canon Zoemini instant cameras Fun, fast, on-the-go photography and printing If you are a self-confessed selfie addict and love to share photos with your friends and loved ones, then you need something that is stylish, portable, and can give you instant results with the minimum of fuss. For every special moment that needs to be captured, you can have a camera and printer small enough to fit in your pocket and with such a compact system, it has never been easier to shoot and print on the go. Canon offers several options that range from 2-in-1 models with cameras and printers built in, to the option to use a portable printer that connects to your mobile devices for on-the-spot image capture and printing, just when you need it. You might…

GETTING STARTED Make sure you choose the right camera and accessories Are you looking for a camera? Are you a little unsure about the various kinds of camera that are available and which ones might be more suitable than others? For any newcomer to photography, many questions need to be answered in order to have a clearer picture of what kind of camera, lenses and accessories will be needed to set you up ready to start enjoying the hobby. Then you may turn your thoughts to flash lighting and light modification, software and filters. There is a whole world to explore and we can show you where to start. “Are you a little unsure about the various kinds of camera that are available and which ones might be more suitable…

Photography software How to bring your photos to life Back in the days of analogue film cameras, the process of taking photographs used to be the key part of the creative workflow. Producing prints or negatives in the darkroom did not allow for much scope when it came to maximising the quality of the images that had been taken. These days, in the world of digital photography, it can be argued that the capture of the images is only half the workflow. Indeed, some regard the post-process workflow as the overriding factor in producing great images. We have always extolled the virtues of shooting your images in the uncompressed and unprocessed Raw format. Raw files are so named because they only contain the raw data straight from your camera’s sensor;…

Shutter speed We look at what shutter speed is and why it is one of the key ingredients in photography The shutter of your camera is simply a mechanical barrier that prevents light from entering the camera until it is needed, controlling when and for how long light is allowed in to expose the sensor. The latest digital cameras have high-speed electro-mechanical shutters capable of timing exposures with an accuracy measured in fractions of a millisecond. Along with the aperture setting and the ISO control, shutter speed is one of the three ways that photographic exposure is adjusted. When a picture is taken, the shutter is opened for a precisely measured amount of time allowing light to pass through. The duration of the exposure is set either automatically by the…

Lightroom versus Photoshop At some point in your digital image editing life you’re going to face the question: Lightroom or Photoshop? It’s not always an easy answer though as it depends on what it is you want to achieve. Both are heavyweights in the photographer’s toolbox, but which is right for you? Lr or Ps? It’s not always an easy choice but there are vast differences between Lightroom and Photoshop that can help make your mind up. These differences depend on the situation and what you intend to do with the finished product. Let’s break down a few strengths of each. LrC vs Ps Lightroom Classic CC Strengths Lightroom can manipulate and edit Raw files directly from your camera, without the need to install or use another plugin. Workflow and…

THE HANDY GEAR GUIDE A quick guide to some cool gear, accessories, and gadgets We can’t speak for other photographers necessarily, but do you feel like you are always on the lookout for a new camera, lens, or device that can enhance your photography? Perhaps it’s a new filter, backup camera, or a cool gadget that can make a part of your photography experience a little more creative, or just a little easier to achieve? Over these next few pages, we thought we would list off a few items that, in no particular order, we thought might be of interest. Some items may be brand new; some may have been around for a while but are still worth a look none the less. Some might even still be in a…

Fujifilm XF10 A premium quality, pocket-sized compact camera Today’s smartphones are equipped with some pretty nifty camera technology and the shots you can take are amazing to say the least. If you really are looking to step up from selfies to more creative and higher quality images, then the Fujifilm XF10 may be just what you are looking for. The XF10 pulls off a neat trick by being able to appeal to a number of photographer types. It was designed partly as an upgrade path away from smartphones. It has a noticeable improvement in the quality of the images you get versus your smartphone and lets you get hands-on with some proper camera controls. The image quality it offers, thanks to a large APS-C sized sensor, is also suitable for…

LEARNING NEW SKILLS The fundamental knowledge on which all good photography is based Photographers come in various shapes, sizes, and skill levels. They range from professional photographers, who have studied at college and honed their technical skills over time, to accomplished photographers, who have just picked up a camera and learned their craft with a trial and error method. There are also enthusiasts who may have stepped up to a more advanced camera and are beginning to explore the new creative possibilities, and there are those who have been happy taking snaps on full automatic but now want to ramp it up and take control. No matter what kind of skill level you are, the basics of photography are essential to all and they all need to have a firm…

CREATIVE PROJECTS Unleash your creative side and learn even more techniques used by the pros So, you’ve learned the fundamentals, brushed up on your theory, and armed yourself with your favourite camera gear and accessories. Now what? Well, we would say get out there and have some creative fun. Shoot, adapt, make mistakes, and learn. That is easy to say, and sometimes you need a project to get your teeth into. Something you genuinely enjoy and can use to really help you stand out as a talented photographer in contrast to one who’s merely a skilled technician. It comes down to an eye for the creative and a desire to learn and do more. By learning and trying out new ideas and techniques, you can turn your photographs from snapshots…

NEW TO IMAGE PROCESSING? Whether you’re using Photoshop, Lightroom or Elements, we have plenty of guides to help you get the most out of your photos One of the great things about digital photographs is that it’s very easy to improve or alter them using the right computer software. There are dozens of image editing packages available, ranging from simple, easy-to-use programs all the way up to the professional-standard Lightroom and Photoshop, which is available in a number of subscription packages. For anyone interested in photography as a hobby our preferred choice is the range of editing programs from Adobe. You have Elements for hobbyist users and Photoshop, Camera Raw and Lightroom for the more serious photographer. On the following pages and subsequent issues, you’ll find a selection of information,…

The History of Lightroom Let’s take a closer look at the development of Adobe’s specialist app for photographers, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Ever since digital cameras first became popular in the early 1990s, photographers have sought ways to adjust and improve digital images and replicate the darkroom tricks and techniques that film photographers have used for decades to get the most out of their pictures. There are dozens of digital image editing programs available and almost everyone who’s ever taken a digital photo, whether they use a top-end digital SLR or just the camera on their mobile phone, has used some sort of editing software to adjust and enhance the image. Most smartphones come with some sort of image editing app as a standard feature. Adobe Photoshop For more than two…

Shooting in Raw Mode To get the best out of your digital images with Adobe Lightroom, you should always shoot in Raw Mode. If you’ve bought this book, we can safely assume that you know something about digital photography, so you’re probably already aware that the vast majority of digital images are stored in a file format known as JPEG. Nearly all digital cameras and mobile phones record their images as JPEG files. You can spot a JPEG file because it will usually have the filename extension. jpg or. jpeg. The JPEG format has been around since 1992, when the standard was first specified by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (after which it takes its name), a standing committee of imaging and software industry experts. There have been various attempts…

Canon EOS 80D Affordable power in this great all-rounder In today’s fast-moving world of tech, a digital camera more than a couple of years old, is often discounted as being out of date and not worthy of people’s time and hard-earned cash. There’s no doubt that can be true in some instances, but in the case of the three year old canon 80D, we think not. The Canon 80D is a 24.2MP APS-C camera that replaced the much older 70D. Aimed squarely at enthusiast photographers, the 80D is simple enough for new users, but offers enough advanced features to grow with you as you become more experienced and creative. The 80D represents a very viable option for those new to photography altogether, or those looking to upgrade from an entry-level…

FUJIFILM XF10 Olympus Tough TG-5 One of the best, rugged, and waterproof compacts you can get We make no bones about it; DSLRs are the ideal option if you want the best optical quality in your lenses, and the best sensor technology in your camera body. There is a downside of course. The prices of new DSLRs are not exactly wallet-friendly and once you have invested in your amazing bit of kit, you are going to make sure no harm comes to it. That will put a limit on the kinds of shots you can capture. For those with a more adventurous streak, capturing action in precarious and more perilous locations, both above and below the water, will require a camera that is somewhat more rugged and suited for purpose.…

Crowd pleasers Take a look at the best gadgets and new tech for photographers, videographers, and geeks of all types! edelkrone FlexTILT Head 2 (£132/€149/$149) FlexTILT Head 2 is a cool, pan and tilt solution that allows you to mount your camera and frame your shots easily and quickly. Free yourself from the restrictions of your tripod mount with a flexible system that has no buttons, locks or dials to master. The constant friction technology employed by this device allows instant height adjustment without having to resort to extending the legs of your tripod. It also allows forward and reverse movement, so you can extend the camera out beyond the tripod for unobstructed top-down shots. This device can rotate 360° for precise and smooth panning and as a bonus, should…

TECHNICAL QUICK-START A handy quick reference guide to some key photographic techniques If you are new to photography or simply brushing up on your skills, the core elements that make up good photography are your key to getting better exposures, better composition and more creative results as a by product. Once you have a good grasp of the essentials, your photography will feel more natural, intuitive and you can be the one making the all-important decisions about how you want your shots to look, rather than the camera’s best guess. We will explore more in further issues, but for now, let’s tap into the fundamentals with our handy quick-start guides. “Once you have a good grasp of the essentials, your photography will feel more natural, intuitive and you can be…

The exposure triangle The holy trinity for photographers If you are keen to express your creativity and learn more about the nature of photography, then you will need to be daring and take your camera out of fully automatic mode and explore the skills required for shooting in manual mode. When you shoot fully manual, you have to be aware of the interplay between each of your camera’s main settings of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. Connect them up The exposure triangle is a popular visual method to connect the three main variables of aperture, shutter speed and ISO amplification that govern the final look of your image. Photography is a balancing act of these three elements when you capture an image. Once you have your camera ready and have…

Aperture and depth of field With aperture you can control how much of your picture is in focus Of the three main controls common to nearly all cameras, shutter speed, focus and aperture, it is aperture adjustment that is the least well understood. This is because it not only helps to control exposure, but also affects something called Depth of Field. Understanding the effects of aperture size is a vital skill for any keen photographer. At least there’s nothing mysterious about the name. The aperture is literally a hole through which light passes after it enters the lens. The diameter of this hole can be altered, allowing a greater or smaller amount of light to pass through on its way to the sensor. In the early days of photography, aperture…

Lightroom top tips Less is often more The cloud-based version of the Lightroom program is as powerful an app as you could wish for. It gives you complete control of your images and you can turn a lacklustre Raw file into a colourful and dramatic photograph. Getting familiar with the basics of processing is important in order to get the most out of your photos. Photographers as a general rule do not tend to like images that are way overprocessed and have every preset and colour effect thrown at them. The truth is, if you want to go crazy with your processing, Lightroom CC has the power to do that but it also has the subtlety when you need it. The kinds of adjustments shown here, which we will begin…